Farmers Guardian articles from December 2008

Farmers Guardian archives from December 2008

DFB: hands off our milk.
December 5, 2008... * Major restructuring plus 2ppl price cut By Howard Walsh DAIRY Farmers of Britain is threatening action against any milk buyers who agree to take milk from DFB producers with unexpired notice. It follows news of the co-operative's...

EU decision `a step forward' on bluetongue vaccination.
December 5, 2008... * Preventative vaccination plan * Covers areas without disease By William Surman and Alistair Driver EU VETERINARY experts have agreed to the introduction of new bluetongue rules that could pave the way for the UK to pre-emptively...

Seven serotypes at large across Europe.
December 5, 2008... THE bluetongue disease is rampant across much of Europe, with seven virus serotypes now at large. The BTV8 virus first appeared in the Netherlands, Belgium, western Germany and northern France in summer 2006. The virus circulation now...

Imports warning.
December 5, 2008... THE British Veterinary Association (BVA) has warned imported animals infected with bluetongue may be being sold on within the UK, without the buyers being aware of the animals' history. BVA president Nicky Paull said farmers were playing...

Single Payments at a glance.
December 5, 2008... The EU Single Payment window opened on December 1. It runs to June 30, 2009. England This week: A small number paid in a trial. Further testing scheduled. The target: More payments to more farmers earlier than last year. 75 per...

England waits for SPS payments.
December 5, 2008... * Scotland and Wales pay out now * England suffering from 2005/6 legacy By Alistair Driver Most farmers in Scotland and Wales have received their Single Payments this week. But in England only a handful of farmers have been...

Ten-year low for Tesco.
December 5, 2008... TESCO has recorded its worst quarterly sales performance for over a decade in the three months to November 22. Excluding petrol sales, like-for-like sales rose by just 2 per cent over the quarter, compared with growth of 4 per cent in the...

Renewed pressure for ombudsman.
December 5, 2008... SIR DON Curry has become the latest high profile figure to hit out at the big retailers over their attempts to block plans for a supermarket ombudsman. The Government's Sustainable Food and Farming adviser said retailers who treated their...

Rooker issues stark warning.
December 5, 2008... FORMER Defra Minister Jeff Rooker has suggested his successors will have less time to engage with farmers and farming issues than he did as a result of an increased workload. Speaking at a Gloucestershire NFU meeting last week, the former...

NFU calls a halt to its legal challenge.
December 5, 2008... * No judicial review of bTB cull decision By Alistair Driver THE NFU has abandoned its plans to pursue a High Court judicial review of Defra Secretary Hilary Benn's decision not to allow licensed culling of badgers to control bovine...

Stricter bTB rules for Wales from March - England could follow suit.
December 5, 2008... WELSH farmers face stricter TB testing rules from next spring and a decision on whether England will follow suit is expected soon. From March 1, 2009, any inconclusive reactors in Wales will be removed following a single 60-day retest that...

Farmers call foul on fallen stock subsidies.
December 5, 2008... * Funding available in other EU states * UK farmers at a `great disadvantage' By William Surman BRITISH farmers have reacted angrily after discovering their European counterparts receive substantial Government subsidies to help...

Only British bacon in Waitrose stores.
December 5, 2008... WAITROSE will only stock British bacon from this month. The supermarket can now claim to source all of its pork, chicken and beef products from Britain - including all sandwiches, ready meals, cooked and fresh meat. Paul Walker,...

NI boycott of PR seminars.
December 5, 2008... IN its ongoing campaign to get a fair price for beef and sheep farmers, Farmers For Action Northern Ireland is calling for producers to boycott abattoir retailers' PR seminars, as well as withdrawing permission for farmers' names and photos...

New Bill is the `wrong route'.
December 5, 2008... THE new Marine Bill, announced in the Queen's Speech on Wednesday, has been criticised by rural organisations. Simon Hart, chief executive of the Countryside Alliance, said it was the `wrong route' to delivering coastal access. CLA...

EC rules could see up to a quarter of pesticides lost.
December 5, 2008... * Industry call for impact assessment By William Surman GOVERNMENT advisers on pesticide use have warned new EU regulation could still remove up to 23 per cent of crop protection products currently on the market. The UK Pesticides...

Call for emissions policy framework.
December 5, 2008... THERE is scope for `significant emissions cuts in agriculture' through a range of measures surrounding livestock and soil, according to the Government's adviser on climate change. Agricultural leaders cautiously backed the first report by...

Greenhouse emissions would rise under EU plans.
December 5, 2008... A NEW study warns of a significant rise in agriculture greenhouse gas emissions if the EU pesticide regulation is introduced. The study, by Carlton Consultancy, said removing a raft of pesticides would stifle crop yields, bring more land...

Agricultural emissions.
December 5, 2008... * In 2006, agriculture emissions accounted for 7 per cent of UK green house gas emissions. * Agriculture accounted for 45 per cent of all non-CO2 emissions - mostly methane and nitrous oxide. * The main non-CO2 emissions come from...

Beet production tax held.
December 5, 2008... MINISTERS have decided to retain the production tax on European sugar beet. It is the only agricultural sector where the charge is levied and paid into the General Budget, says the NFU. Maintaining the tax, which is worth *1 per tonne of...

GM soybean approval push in bid to help lower feed costs.
December 5, 2008... * Decision expected in Europe this week A NEW genetically-modified soybean could be authorised for import into the European Union this week. Given that soybean meal is the primary source of protein for EU animal feed, farmers will hope...

Threat to livestock if sea eagles return.
December 5, 2008... FARMERS in Norfolk have been warned about potential dangers to livestock after conservationists announced plans to re-introduce sea eagles to the area. The Country, Land and Business Association has written to Natural England, saying there...

WTO deal may be on cards.
December 5, 2008... THERE are growing signs of a drive to deliver a pre-Christmas World Trade Organisation deal. Trade and Agriculture Ministers from the key WTO member countries are due to meet in Geneva on December 15. After talking down prospects, WTO...

LETTER: Investing in our future environment.(Letter to the editor)
December 5, 2008... THE CLA is concerned that land managers may no longer receive environmental farm payments, or will not be rewarded for their conservation efforts as a result of Natural England's new Higher Level Stewardship targeting approach (FG, November...

LETTER: MAS the way forward, not GM.(Letter to the editor)
December 5, 2008... THE extensive and balanced report on GMs (FG, November 28) contained the only sensible way forward, and one that satisfies the different groups involved in the argument. Marker Assisted Selection (MAS) gene technology would be acceptable...

LETTER: Switch onfor safety.(Letter to the editor)
December 5, 2008... IT is planned by Government that soon all new cars must have lights on when in use. It is important that farmers start now, in winter, to use their tractor and trailer lights while on the road for their own and other road users' safety. ...

LETTER: Too many milk processors?(Letter to the editor)
December 5, 2008... The very small increase in prices dairy farmers received this year was, with the rapidly escalating costs, taken care of long before we received it. We are still only getting just over 27p per litre. The latest costings are 30p/litre. If...

LETTER: Standing up for the OP cause.(Letter to the editor)
December 5, 2008... THANK you for printing the article regarding the meeting between Brenda Sutcliffe and Tim Farron and the questions that Mr Farron is now asking on behalf of us OP sheep dip sufferers (FG, November 28). Let us hope he will be able to get the...

EDITORIAL: Dairy industry's reality check.(Editorial)
December 5, 2008... Doing nothing was not an option for Dairy Farmers of Britain. Despite previous assurances all was well, the co-op has simply not been generating profit. Performance was handicapped by the business's very structure. With hundreds of...

OPINION: Does organic taste better?
December 5, 2008... AWARE that Prince Charles is a keen advocate of farming and the role farmers play in preserving the rural environment and community, I tuned into the documentary that marked his recent 60th birthday. What came across was a passion, yet...

ANALYSIS: National campaign to save council farms.
December 5, 2008... * Promoting the benefits to taxpayers IN MARCH, Staffordshire County Council announced it was going ahead with a `positive programme of actions to reinvigorate' its farm estate. This represented a victory for the tenanted sector...

ANALYSIS: Decline of county council farms.
December 5, 2008... * In England in 2006, 50 county and unitary authorities managed 96,206 hectares of agricultural land, let to 2,836 tenants. * Over the last 22 years the amount of land let by councils has fallen by 30 per cent - an average reduction of...

ANALYSIS: Sir Don Curry's recommendations.
December 5, 2008... In his report, Sir Don encouraged local authorities to support and act upon four key recommendations: * There should be greater networking and collaboration in the management of local authority estates. * Regional economic strategies...

Case study: Matthew Naylor.
December 5, 2008... Sycamore Farm, Spalding Matthew Naylor and his father are LEAF-accredited farmers supplying a range of cut flowers and potatoes to supermarkets from Spalding, Lincolnshire. Eager to make it on his own, Matthew left school at 16 and...

Case study: Andrew and Judith Fewings.
December 5, 2008... Lower Marsh Farm, Dunster, Crown Estate Andrew and Judith Fewings are both from a farming background. They started their joint farming life in 1992 on a 64 acre Wiltshire County Council farm in Keevil, near Trowbridge, farming just 22 cows....

GM: Unpredictable technology or powerful and invaluable breeding tool?
December 5, 2008... Continuing our report on whether GM crops have a future in the UK, we look at the experience of countries growing them and if they really are safe to eat. Alistair Driver, Jack Davies and William Surman report. Advocates of GM food are...

The overseas experience: USA and India.
December 5, 2008... AS the UK debates whether there is a future for GM crops here, the experience of farmers already using the crops elsewhere has become a hot topic. The biotech industry claims GM has been good for farmers. Why else would global plantings...

Farming in Wales is a success story.
December 5, 2008... NO matter the depth of economic recession, one of Britain's leading bankers has few doubts farming is one of the best positioned industries to weather the storm. Centenary dinner speaker, HSBC Bank's chief executive Dyfrig John, said...

Eradicating bTB is still top priority.(Conference notes)
December 5, 2008... Barry Alston reports from NFU Cymru's Centenary Conference - staged overlooking the hallowed turf at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium. ERADICATING bovine TB, continuing to press for on-farm fallen stock containment, a commitment to local food...

A new farming strategy.
December 5, 2008... A NEW farming strategy for Welsh agriculture is to be published in early 2009 and at its core will be the sustainability and profitability of family farms. "There can be little doubt that the greatest strength of the Welsh agricultural...

BUSINESS: Asda launches new CalfLink scheme.
December 5, 2008... CALFLINK aims to create a direct link between farmers operating under Asda's DairyLink and BeefLink initiatives. In conjunction with specialist calf rearing company The Calf Company, it will channel all profits back to family farms...

BUSINESS: Sainsbury's initiatives to boost British farming.
December 5, 2008... * New commitment to British produce * Scheme to boost young Welsh farmers By Jack Davies SAINSBURY'S unveiled two new initiatives to firm up its commitment to British farmers this week - committing to 100 per cent British meat in...

BUSINESS: First Milk seeking recruits.
December 5, 2008... FIRST Milk has launched a widespread recruitment campaign in England and Wales. In the week that Dairy Farmers of Britain announced a massive overhaul of its business - and a milk price reduction - in a bid to return to profit next year,...

BUSINESS: Optimism for GB dairy future.
December 5, 2008... GREAT Britain should fare better than most of the EU in any dairy downturn. "The effect on farm gate prices of a weakening market and strong UK retailers will be muted by the weak raw milk supply which will increase pressure on processors...

BUSINESS: DFB launches new hard cheese range.
December 5, 2008... DESPITE its troubles in the liquid milk sector, Dairy Farmers of Britain has launched a new range of top hard cheeses that will be stocked initially in 650 Tesco stores. The new line, 1st Grade, also has what DFB describes as "a...

BUSINESS: Beef supply gap growing amid heifer shortage.
December 5, 2008... * Black and whites an attractive option A huge gap in beef supplies in the last third of 2009 seems increasingly likely, according to new figures from BCMS. They confirm a long-suspected scenario, one which could bite deeper long-term...

BUSINESS: Woodland `a safe haven'.
December 5, 2008... INVESTORS with their money in woodland have seen capital growth of 125- 150 per cent over the last five years. Average plantation prices have risen more than 100 per cent, proving forestry to be something of a safe haven in uncertain times....

BUSINESS: Farm incomes up 23pc.
December 5, 2008... DESPITE difficult trading conditions in 2007 due to foot-and-mouth in England, farm incomes in Wales have risen 23 per cent to average #26,500 - though not every sector fared so well. According to Welsh Assembly statistics, by far the...

BUSINESS: Seeking to replicate the successes.
December 5, 2008... Brian Richardson, new man at the helm of one of the country's biggest and most diverse livestock auctioneering businesses, tells Howard Walsh how he got there. * Building on existing strengths IN terms of qualifications for the job,...

BUSINESS: Two factors drive rising fertiliser cost.
December 5, 2008... AN increase in the cost of manufacturing raw materials and rising demand due to global plantings have been blamed for the escalating cost of fertilisers over the past 12 months. David Aitken, representing international fertiliser trading...

BUSINESS: Fertiliser - will you take the gamble?
December 5, 2008... * Conflicting views on purchase strategy By Howard Walsh A WAR of nerves is breaking out in the fertiliser market. Some companies are saying `buy now to guarantee supply' while others are saying `don't panic - there is a global...

Trend towards reduced costs and higher output in lowland sheep.
December 5, 2008... Lowland flocks have emerged as the best performing sheep production system over the past three years, according to the latest edition of Eblex Business Pointers. Since 2005/06 margins for average lowland producers have increased by #17 per ewe...

BUSINESS: Exploring the impact on your business.
December 5, 2008... Eblex has a range of free costings tools available to suit all producers and their business needs. As well as the latest Better Returns Improved Costings manual, Eblex has a Snapshot costings CD which takes users step by step through a...

ARABLE: New man on NIAB's board.
December 5, 2008... DAVID Baulcombe, Royal Society research professor and Professor of Botany at the University of Cambridge, has joined the Board of the National Institute of Agricultural Botany (NIAB). An award-winning scientist and a Fellow of the Royal...

ARABLE: Branston's carbon achievement.
December 5, 2008... * Food producer has green credentials POTATO supplier Branston has become the first food producer in the country to receive the Carbon Trust Standard. The business, which supplies over 400,000 tonnes of fresh potatoes every year, was...

ARABLE: World wheat plantings fall.
December 5, 2008... THE International Grains Council estimates that world wheat plantings for harvest 2009 will be 1.6 per cent below 2008, at 221.7 million hectares. Across the northern hemisphere crop conditions are seen as favourable, but rain delays are...

ARABLE: Use slurry and manure better.
December 5, 2008... THE publication of new soil data highlighting the need for farmers to optimise fertiliser use across the UK has been welcomed by the industry. New figures released by NRM Laboratories indicate there is potential for growers to make more...

ARABLE: Winter bean variety Sultan joins PGRO list.
December 5, 2008... ONE new winter bean variety joins the PGRO Recommended List for 2009, taking the total number of varieties on the list up one from last year to four. Pale hilum variety Sultan joins the new list with a provisional P1 recommendation and a...

ARABLE: Reasons for rejection.
December 5, 2008... ON average 2.5 per cent of malting barley delivered to end users was rejected during the 2007/08 crop year, according to results from the Maltsters Association of Great Britain annual rejections survey. In total 35,892 tonnes was rejected...

ARABLE: Consistently high wheat yields are exception rather than rule.
December 5, 2008... * 2008 was an exceptional year GROWERS should not bank on a repeat of the exceptionally high wheat yields that were harvested this year during 2009 say two independent agronomists. The high yields of 2008 were the result of a...

SPRING CROPS: Autumn conditions affect spring decisions.
December 5, 2008... After a problematic autumn drilling period, what spring cropping options are available now? Joanna Baker asks some seed industry experts on their views and predictions for 2009. Nationally, around 20 per cent of oilseed rape and 10 per cent...

SPRING CROPS: Developing high yielding barley for distilling market.
December 5, 2008... Rising whisky consumption and new higher-yielding spring barley varieties were the focus of a technical briefing at Simpsons Malt in Berwick-upon-Tweed. Joanna Baker reports. Despite volatile cereal markets, spring barley is still a...

SPRING CROPS: Nitrogen application timings crucial to quality.
December 5, 2008... GETTING the timing of fertiliser applications right on spring barley varieties is crucial in order to achieve the right grain quality, says Simon Phillips, head of product development at Syngenta Seeds. "The traditional timings we have for...

SPRING CROPS: IBD Approved List - harvest 2009.
December 5, 2008... SPRING barley variety Publican has gained promotion to the full approval category on the Institute of Brewing and Distilling's Approved List for harvest 2009. Spring variety Quench has achieved provisional approval 2 for brewing use, while...

SPRING CROPS: Growth in whisky demand shows no sign of slowing.
December 5, 2008... Malt production at Simpsons Malt has doubled in the last 20 years in response to UK demand. Originally founded by a Leeds corn merchant in the early 1900s, today Simpson's has three maltings at Tweed Valley in Berwick, Northumberland,...

SPRING CROPS: Pulse list newcomers reflect steady performance increase.
December 5, 2008... White seeded pea varieties and a low-tannin spring bean join the PGRO Recommended Lists for 2009. Teresa Rush reports from the launch of the 2009 lists at Premier Foods' Long Sutton plant in Lincolnshire. Three pea varieties gain full...

SPRING CROPS: Provsional P1 listing for Tattoo.
December 5, 2008... ONE new variety joins the PGRO's 2009 Recommended List for spring beans in the P1 provisionally recommended category. In other changes to the list for 2009, the pale hilum beans Memphis and Betty progress from P1 to P2, while the low tannin...

SPRING CROPS: Niche markets for spring crops.
December 5, 2008... ALTERNATIVE crops such as white wheat and millet could be profitable spring-sown options for growers looking for more niche opportunities, says one adviser. The market for white wheat in the UK is under-supplied, with end users having to...

Spring barley - getting the best marketable yield.
December 5, 2008... with Syngenta Seeds Our sponsored series looking at key issues within the agricultural industry turns its attention to the arable sector with a look at the importance of marketable yield in spring barley production. With its modest...

FARM FEATURE: Customer focus key to dairy's success.
December 5, 2008... Being at the right place at the right time has provided a Lancashire family with renewed vigour for their Little Town Dairy. Danusia Osiowy meets the Forshaws. The connotations associated with Little Town Dairy are a stark contrast to...

YOUNGSTOCK: CAP funding should go to `active' farmers, not landowners.
December 5, 2008... Europe's next generation of innovative and entrepreneurial farmers debated how CAP post-2013 should be shaped to maintain and attract young farmers. Warren Landles reports from Lodz, Poland. * Investment vital for future of agriculture ...

YOUNGSTOCK: European Forum of Young Farmers.
December 5, 2008... The exchange of ideas and experiences between Polish young farmers and those from other European countries through the European Forum of Young Farmers takes place every three years. The event was held in the Lodz Region, a large food producing...

YOUNGSTOCK: United approach to create a strong voice in Europe.
December 5, 2008... ENGLISH, Welsh and Irish Young Farmer groups are being urged to rejoin the European young farmers movement, CEJA. Erik Jennewein, CEJA's vice president, welcomed active participation from the Scottish Association of Young Farmers (SAFYC),...

COUNTRY VIEW: Marketing lamb to help farmers in fight against imports.
December 5, 2008... The story of how the British landscape has evolved - with long, verdant river valleys, good soil and plenty of settlement, pockets of woodland, and cold moorland - is amazing. Much of its existence is down to billions of gnashers munching...

COUNTRY VIEW: Other farmers marketing initiatives.
December 5, 2008... * Cambrian Mountains, Wales - This initiative links food, tourism and the built environment under a Cambrian Mountains brand. It is based on a watercolour painted by the Prince of Wales and will be applied to a range of produce sourced from...

WORKING DOGS: John and Pat dominate novice and championship.
December 5, 2008... * James and Jess win nursery trial By Elaine Hill James Dumbleton swept the board in the nursery class at Dovedale with Jess, while John Harvey and Pat dominated the novice class. At Holme Farm, Ilam, the weather was clear and...

WORKING DOGS: Trials called off as bad weather hits Welsh nursery season.
December 5, 2008... THE nursery season is nearly over, but two trials had to be called off because of the weather. The scheduled Brecknock trial will not be re-held, but the Powys Nursery Final will be held on December 21. On Saturday, the North Wales...

MACHINERY: A major reduction in emissions.
December 5, 2008... ALTHOUGH slurry injectors are making inroads in Denmark a large proportion of the country's slurry is still applied using dribble bar techniques. With ammonia emissions in the spotlight, Danish-firm Kimadan seems to have come up with a...

MACHINERY: A sugar beet silage harvester?
December 5, 2008... IT sounds unlikely but Thyregod is looking to promote the use of a modified version of its trailed three-row T-7 sugar beet harvester to make a high-energy fodder beet silage. Called the T-7S (Silage), the machine differs to the standard...

MACHINERY: UK-driven demand.
December 5, 2008... DEMAND from the UK has led to the development of two of the biggest field rollers in the business. Made by Danish-firm He-Va, and known as the King-Roller 1250 and 1530, the five-section machines offer working widths of 12.5 and 15.3m...

MACHINERY: Fiona's first ever 6m seed drill.
December 5, 2008... FIONA has been forced to develop its first ever trailed 6m seed drill. The Saturn premiered at the Danish show and the min-till drill features a leading set of double discs to open up the soil. The surface is levelled by a comb harrow and...

MACHINERY: Terra D seedbed cultivator.
December 5, 2008... KONGSKILDE has taken the front disc technology from its successful front-mounted Terra D cultivator and combined this with a roller to make a stand alone cultivator for mounting to the rear of a tractor. Available in 3-6m working widths,...

MACHINERY: The MaxiRoll is multi-purpose.
December 5, 2008... DAL-BO expects Germany, France and the UK to be the biggest markets for its 12.3m-wide MaxiRoll 1230. Added to support the current 10.3m-wide MaxiRoll 1030, the newcomer is designed to produce a seedbed on ploughed land. Once drilled, and...

MACHINERY: Couch grass killer.
December 5, 2008... AS average tractor size increases in Denmark, so does the demand for wider machines. With this in mind, a hydraulically-folding trailed 6m version of the Kvik-Killer (Couch Grass Killer) cultivator has been added to support the current 2m...